Ohio teacher may be fired for Facebook photo

Published: January 22, 2013 11:04AM

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- A northeast Ohio middle-school teacher has until later this week to respond to an allegation that she posted a Facebook photo of her students with their mouths covered with duct tape.

The Akron Public Schools Board of Education voted last week to pursue the firing of Melissa Cairns. She's a middle-school math teacher at Buchtel Community Learning Center.

The teachers' union said it will request a referee in the matter.

The school district said the photo, posted on Cairn's personal Facebook page, showed some of her students with duct tape across their mouths. The caption read: "Finally found a way to get them to be quiet!!!"

The Akron Beacon Journal (http://bit.ly/WB2K39 ) reports that Cairns was put on paid leave Oct. 19. She has not responded to requests for comment.